Ellis sends letter to new Heinz owners, talks about Fremont facility

May 27, 2013

Written by

Staff Writer

FREMONT — The Heinz ketchup plant has been a part of Fremont’s landscape since the 1930s, and Mayor Jim Ellis wants to keep the lines of communication open with the company as it moves toward operating under new ownership.

In April, Heinz shareholders approved the acquisition of the Pittsburgh-based company by Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital, an investment firm.

Ellis sent a letter May 10 to 3G managing director Alexandre Behring that congratulated the investment firm on its purchase of Heinz and talked about the company’s presence in Fremont since at least 1937 and its position as a substantial part of the city’s economic profile.

“This probably means that since at least 1935 rumors concerning the future of Heinz have regularly circulated within our community. Your group’s purchase of Heinz has provided plenty of grist for the local rumor mill,” Ellis wrote.

The letter noted the pride city residents felt in maintaining Heinz’s ketchup brand and the desire to keep the company in Fremont and its facility open and operating.

The mayor ended his letter by acknowledging that he had no control over decisions made regarding the Heinz facility’s future, and said he would welcome the chance to listen to any concerns the company had or talk about opportunities relating to the Fremont plant.

In an email to the News-Messenger, Ellis said he spoke with a person in Heinz’s government affairs office after 3G received his letter.

“What I was told is that there are no plans to do anything else with the Fremont plant at this time. That’s what they’re telling all the Heinz plants,” Ellis said, adding that the sale had not closed and he thought the firm was evaluating Heinz’s production structure at the moment.

Ellis said the Heinz representative told him the company recognized the importance of the Fremont plant in the production of ketchup.

He said the city will have to wait and see what the new ownership decides to do as it moves forward with completing the acquisition.